I see US casualties in Iraq have now reached 3000.

In addition, the 'great new democratic' government of Iraq hasn't even managed to bring off the execution of Saddam Hussein with even a modicum of class and character. Not only is Michael Richard's misbehavior captured on a cell phone camera recording, the lies the press told yesterday about the dignified end to a dictator's life have also been shown up to the public for what they really are.

I wonder if George Bush ever sits in the dark with Saddam Hussein's pistol in his lap and actually thinks about what he's brought into the world?

Happy New Year Murdock!

writes G West.

"Every one who fights the American occupation has our full support," Yassin Hussein, a 30-year-old teacher in Ramadi told IPS. "They lied to us all the time, and it is time for them to admit their terrible failure and leave. Let them go rebuild New Orleans."

Hussein said resistance fighters are the only force able to keep local peace and keep criminal gangs in check. "The Americans are too busy trying to take care of their own security to care about Iraqis."

http://www.dahrjamailiraq.com/hard_news/archives/2006_10_29.php

With no drastic changes imminent to the failed U.S. policy in Iraq, coupled with an Iraqi government that grows more impotent by the day, Iraqis have dim hopes of improvement in 2007.

http://www.dahrjamailiraq.com/hard_news/archives/iraq/000513.php#more

The bases are becoming like forts within which the U.S. forces stay. Camp Anaconda in Balad, just north of Baghdad, is an air base with more than 20,000 soldiers, less than 1,000 of whom ever leave the base, according to local reports. About 250 aircraft are located at this base.

The situation in southern Iraq is also becoming difficult, with signs of fighting between the two largest Shia militias, the Badr group and Sadr's Mehdi Army.

"The Shia-Shia fight will be destructive," Dr. Ghassan al-Atiya, a liberal Shia in London told IPS. "With all parties armed and longing for ruling the rich southern region of Iraq, the whole Gulf area will explode, and a real civil war will be a certain consequence."

Through the occupation, each time the U.S. has increased troop levels, there has been a corresponding increase in attacks on the forces, and consequently an increase in civilian casualties. Or, troop levels have been increased in response to rising attacks. By either pattern, next year could get much worse.

http://www.dahrjamailiraq.com/hard_news/archives/iraq/000516.php#more

In a statement that seems to warn of impending violence and increasing political divide, the Ba'ath Party, formerly led by Saddam, has threatened it would target U.S. interests anywhere if he was executed.

"Our party warns again of the consequences of executing Mr. President and his comrades," said a statement that appeared on a website known to represent the party. "The Ba'ath and the resistance are determined to retaliate, with all means and everywhere, to harm America and its interests if it commits this crime."

http://www.dahrjamailiraq.com/hard_news/archives/iraq/000517.php#more

For myself, I am hopeful of a prosperous New Year, personal Happiness, perhaps a few times.

I have already resolved to take some personal action(s) to 'wake-up' more to the insanity of Iraq (for my American relations) and Afghanistan (for my many canadian friends). I have already taken some follow-up towards these ends and will continue to do so.

Though many will not be willing to follow-up on the links above, nor may they be swayed by the arguments, let one little girls' plight have a moment of impact upon you.

http://dahrjamailiraq.com/gallery/view_photo.php?set_albumName=baby_girl_victim-of_car_bomb_Sadr_City&id=Image031

...

Ask yourself, what right does the US have to inflict this suffering?

A retaliation? Against Saddam? Against Terror? (whom is the aplicator of this terror -- that little girl? her parents? her society?)

A defence? From what? Saddam never ever had Nuclear Weapons, nor the means to deliver them. Uzbekistan might have had them, may have even sold them and they have an old Soviet launch platform (the equivalent to cape canaveral) with loads of heavy lift rockets in it - why have they not been 'pressured' like Iraq?

Globbo Cop is behaving just like a donut-glazed speed trap lunatic, meeting out punishment to those whom can least fight back and with whom the slightest infraction can be found.

Just like the police that hand out speeding tickets and beat-up purse snatchers that steal $60 while real mass-murderers go on killing and white-collar thieves ama$$ million$.

Indeed.

I can't figure out what you guys are talking about. The Americans have succeeded beyond their wildest imaginations with their secret goal: the destruction of Iraq as a menace to their best buddy in the area. Notice how these big time neocons always have to bite their tongues (to keep from laughing) when some journalist questions them about the 'crisis' in Iraq?

Look, 70% of the American population believed Colin Powell at the United Nations. What else can you expect when you've got a population whose brains have turned to margarine?

You can't really blame U.S. government officials when they're merely protecting what their public (and perhaps even Canadians) want -- cheap oil for automobiles. So, blame all of us, car owners (unless your car is all-electric, of course) for oil wars.

How about this:
http://foia.fbi.gov/foiaindex/guantanamo.htm

Can one blame the US Government for that behavior?

From G West link above:

Wonder who the best friend is?

In its ongoing censorship of anything critical of Israel & it supporters, Tyee has repeatedly demonstrated that it is controlled media.

The biggest story of 2006 is how "the elites" the fossilized scum strangling the world economy, are using controlled media to brainwash people into believing outright lies.

Save the Planet! Support Al Gore & the rest of the Schiff "family" for World's First Global Dictator!

2007 - Time to blow this scaborous crust right off the planet!

kjc
That's just baloney and you know it.

Nothing wrong with critizing Israel and it's policies - or the way the US fits into it. When it deteriorates to blatant anti-Semitism and pure personal prejudice people ought to keep that stuff to themselves - it's offensive.

And you're busy doing it all over again.
In my view.

should be 'criticizing' sorry.

I think the article in Salon.com 'The Real Iraq Study Group' by Mark Benjamin, featuring Lieberman and McCain explains a lot about what's up with America in Iraq.

It was an interesting article. John Keegan in the Telegraph says the minimum additional troop requirement is 50,000 top-grade personnel. The AEI plan says and additional 25,000 is what they're proposing to clear and hold Baghdad.
As Benjamin puts it, Lieberman sounds like he's channeling David Frum. I don't think Keegan's option will work, there aren't that many trained experienced troops (not committed already) to fulfill Keegan's plan anyway. The interesting thing will be how the now Democrat controlled institutions of government will respond to Bush' plan next week.

I see the Vatican is starting a worldwide campaign against the death penalty since the Danse macabre that made Saddam a 'martyr' to a huge segment of the Iraqi population.

The Democrats are also going to want to start spending on the domestic programs they've promised and the financial squeeze is going to get tighter so it may be that that leads, in the end, to the end of America's hopes for Iraq 'Victory'.

Thanks Truman.

Saddam’s execution is far from the end of things – in fact it may well mark the beginning of an even worse (if that’s actually possible) period for the Iraqi people.
Instead of showing off a new democracy acting with careful judicial deliberation it shows a new, and shattered autocracy practicing the same kind of sectarian violence that Saddam practiced with such alacrity himself. These folks, the guys who turned Saddam’s execution into a lynching, are the people who are supposed to be running this new people’s democracy and Saddam’s spirit, if you believe in such things must be chuckling maniacally somewhere over the rainbow. In death, his kind of ‘government’ has now taken over and the Americans appear ready to send still more ill-prepared soldiers into the cauldron. If there wasn’t a civil war – there almost certainly will be one now between Sunnis and Shias. How a functioning democracy – or even a functioning but benevolent autocracy for that matter – can grow out of this mess is a mystery even McCain/Lieberman (with assistance from David Frum) cannot unravel. What a mess!

a mess that was entirely predictable.

a mess that was avoided by Bush Sr.

I was serving as an officer during Gulf War I and many were surprised by the decision to 'reign-in' the dogs of war and pull out Stormin' Norman. With Baghdad at their mercy and all of Saddams' war machine in chaos it seemed the ideal time to 'finish the job'.

However as that admin was correct to point out, those troops were not there to eliminate Iraq, nor were they assembled to perform the kind of police functions that would be so critical to the 'duration' of what the country would be like post-combat.

Unfortunately it is going to take having 'pretorians' like Dick Cheney out of power before the situation can even start being managed. Just like Vietnam, where Cheney was involved bungling things, it will take a total change of direction to solve the mess in Iraq.

Q: Were the US to start pull-out from Iraq, where would all those martyrs find large numbers of westerners to attack?

Answer: Afganistan.

Making the chances of the Canadian Forces getting out of the rat-trap they are in even slimmer. Either the needed heavy airlift will be 'busy' or there will be no one left to pick up.